Dutch team takes the lead in Darwin to Adelaide solar racing challenge

Dutch solar racing car team Solar Team Twente has grabbed the lead in the Darwin to Adelaide Bridgestone World Solar Challenge after two days of racing powered solely by the sun – and the sweat and smiles of contestants.

Since starting behind pole position and fellow Dutch team Top Dutch Solar Racing on Sunday from Darwin’s State Square, Solar Team Twente has come out in front in the Challenger class and is still maintaining its position as of lunch time Tuesday.

While gruelling conditions saw last race’s winner Vattenfall Solar Team pull off the road on Monday due to solar array problems, they have today finished in second place at the Alice Springs control stop and halfway point.

This was followed by Agoria Solar Team from Belgium, only 16 minutes behind, just in front of German Sonnenwagen who successfully leap frogged University of Michigan Solar Car Team, Tokai University Solar Car Team and Top Dutch Solar Racing to gain provisional fourth place.

In the Cruiser class, the first five teams to arrive at yesterday’s control stop were headed by Netherlands team Eindhoven, followed by Hong Kong’s IVE Engineering.

German team SolarCar-Team Hochschule Bochum claimed third provisional place, followed by Australia’s own Sunswift and ATN Solar Car Team in fourth and fifth respectively.